Tender Memories of Yesteryears
by dead marionette
Summary: Remembering the past is not always a bad thing. She smiles when she remembers the precious times she spent with him. Even if the times she had with him was spent arguing. [The Alternate Sequel to Twinned Souls]
1. Remembrance

**Well then, I'm very sorry for the long hiatus on Silver Tears of the Blue Sky. I need some time for my writer's block to 'unblock' for it. Ironically, this came to mind when I began to have a writer's block for the other sequel. Since I know how much you guys liked my version of Shinn, I've decided to 'unkill' him here. Once again, it's a sequel to Twinned Souls but in a different light. This time, it's about the time both Cagalli and Shinn spent together right after the final battle until Twinned Souls. Hope you guys like this one better than the other sequel. I kind of regretted 'killing off' Shinn and decided to make it up to you guys who liked him. Also, very appreciate if you guys can help me along the way for this fanfic! (sometimes, I run out of ideas on what they should do..hehe)**

**By the way, from second paragraph onwards is the real story, or, you could say flashback! Also, I'll appreciate it if you guys give me a 'swift kick in the butt' if I tend to delay the updates. Sometimes, I need the 'push'!**

* * *

The air surrounding was refreshing and peaceful. Smiling, she took in a breath of the air as she sat down under a huge old tree. Its branches loomed over her, creating cooling shade from the hot sun. Leaning her head back against the rough bark of the tree, she wondered about her life. Just the thought of it brought a smile to her face and a nostalgic gleam in her golden-amber eyes.

* * *

She looked around her, the place she had called home was no longer what she used to remember. Rubbles dirtied the area as she walked around in bewilderment. She felt cold inside while her whole body shook slightly. Thankful, no one was there to observe the silver tears trailing down her cheeks while she clenched her fists tightly. With a sudden, her whole body went still as she raised her golden head. Turning around slowly, she watched as a figure walked towards her from a far. Her eyes were narrowed with anger and her whole body bristled with it as a familiar face came to view. Swiftly, she brushed away her tears. 

"What do you think you are doing here?" she asked coldly. She stared at him from amidst the damages that Orb had after the final war. She saw him winced as he walked up to her. She lifted her head slightly up to glare at him, him being slightly taller than her.

"Princess-" he called out as he raised a hand to her. She moved away from him swiftly.

"You have no right to call me that! You don't even want to be here, remember! You hate this place!" she cried out, her anger in full throttle as she gestured wildly at her surroundings. She could not believe the nerve he had to return to Orb when, in truth, it had been his fault that Orb had been reduced to this pitiful state. She could hear the cries and sadness of her people around as they mourned for their loved ones. Her mind told her that it was not entirely his fault. She too had some part in it, having decided for Orb to participate in the final battle. But her heart won over, telling her to use him as a scapegoat.

With a sudden, she felt despondent and tired. Once again, the heavy burden of her responsibility as a Princess weighed her down. She felt herself swayed and her knees buckled under her. Suddenly, she felt arms surrounding her and her hair being wet as he burrowed his head in her hair.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he cried, repeating his apology over and over again. She felt her own tears threatening to spill. It was then that she knew hope was not far from her grasp. She raised her arms and wrapped them around him. Together, they fell to the floor. She listened to him cry while she held him in her arms. Tiredly, she laid her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her own tears spilled over silently.

It was after a while that he stopped crying. Her head still on his shoulder, she felt he pulled away from her. She looked up and saw him gazing intently down at her. She watched as those red eyes of his gleamed with unshed tears. Pulling away her arms from him, she lifted her hands to his face and gently wiped away those tears from his eyes.

"I'm really sor-" he started to say but she shook her head. Her hands fell away from his face as she looked over his shoulder and at the people who were down on their knees, crying out loud.

"I know it is not your fault. It's no one's fault actually. This is just a consequence of what power and hate could do," she simply said, her eyes watching and not seeing him at the same time. Blinking once, she looked at him again and sadly gave him a smile. "You are here now, alive. Make use of what life has to offer for you," she said as she slowly straightened herself up. With that said, she walked away from him, the one who had glared at her each time they met. Behind her, his red eyes watched her walked away before he stood up.

* * *

Ahead, she could two shadowy figures amidst the dust and rubble. The famous mobile suit, Strike Freedom, lay motionless behind them. One of the figures turned towards her, its long pink hair flowing with the motion. She watched as the pink-haired figure turned to its companion and pointed at her. The other figure turned and together, both began to make their way towards her. As they got closer, she could finally see who they were. Almost impulsively and hopefully, she glanced behind them. No third figure came out and her eyelids lowered with disappointment. She could feel her heart sank as tears threatened to fall once again. 

She knew it was too good to be true. Hoping that he would be there was way out of the question, since she was the one who had walked away from him. She watched as the pink-haired girl walked towards her and stood by her side while the other figure stood before her, its helmet still on. She looked on as it raised its arms and removed the helmet, revealing brown hair and sad-looking deep amethyst eyes. She watched her brother's face as he let his helmet go with a soft thud on the ground. She watched her brother gave her a soft tired smile as he lifted his arms up.

With a soft sound, she moved into his arms and wrapped her own around his lithe body. Body trembling, she clenched her hands into tight fists, bunching his suit as well as she pushed her face deep into his chest. Pent-up emotions broke loose as smothered sobs could be heard from her. Behind them, the pink-haired girl smiled. "It's all right. It's all right. It's finally over," she heard her brother spoke to her in that soothing voice of his. Lifting her head up, she stared at her brother's tired, yet gentle amethyst eyes.

"But Orb -" she started. Her brother shook his head.

"We can rebuild Orb once again. You, me and Lacus. All of us. Together this time," he said, gesturing at the war-ravaged land around them. She looked around, taking note of Lacus smiling as she walked up to them.

"Your brother is right. Cagalli, Orb will be rebuild from the ground and you are not alone. We are here for you," she said as she placed a hand on Cagalli's shoulder. Moving away from her brother, Cagalli snaked an arm around her pink-haired friend and brought the two of them close to her in a hug.

"Thank you," she softly said.

"Don't forget about us," a feminine voice called out. All three looked up and found themselves staring at the members of the Clyne Faction grinning at them. Lowering her arms, she watched as the Clyne Faction made their way towards the three of them. And as the members of the Clyne Faction crowded around the three of them, Cagalli spied a unruly black-haired, red-eyed figure looking at her from a far.

* * *


	2. Decision Decided

**A new chapter! Yay!**

* * *

He looked out of the window and watched as Orb citizens helped one another in rebuilding their homes. Brushing aside his unruly black hair, he wondered if the princess was doing the same thing as her people. Or was she busy trying to get peaceful ties between Orb, Plant and the Earth Alliance. He sighed and looked up at the clear sky. Thoughts of the princess had been plaguing him ever since he broke down in front of her.

Already it had been a few weeks after that incident and he could still hear her voice. _"..__This is just a consequence of what power and hate could do. You are here now, alive. Make use of what life has to offer for you..."_

He thought about her words and found them to be quite true. Ever since Stellar died, he had not been the same. Crazed with rage and anger, his hatred for Orb increased and he did everything in his power to destroy Orb. He shook his head, he knew better than to remember the bitter past.

As always, the image of the golden-haired princess came to his mind once more. Turning away from the window, he sat down on one of the chairs and stared unseeingly at his clasped hands that rested on his knees. Strangely enough, each time he thought of her, he had this strong urge to help her in any way he can. Unknown to him, his desire to help was about to come true.

* * *

Kira looked up at the wooden door in front and wondered if he was doing the right thing. Searching for Shinn was pretty easy, seeing that he was after all the Head Representative. He just wondered if he would be doing the right thing if he were to enlist the black-haired Coordinator's help.

He had seen how the black-haired boy looked at his sister in Orb a few weeks ago. The very same look that Athrun and he had when it came to protecting the ones they loved. Determined for his help, the brown-haired boy knocked on the door. It was after a while when the door opened, revealing the black-haired Coordinator. Startled upon seeing the brown-haired boy, Shinn was speechless and motionless.

"K-Kira?" the black-haired boy stuttered. "What are you doing here?" he started to ask before he realized that they were still at the door. Gesturing for the brown-haired boy to enter, Shinn closed the door behind him. Kira looked around at the room before spying an empty seat. As he sat down, he noticed that the black-haired boy was staring at him nervously.

"I came to see you," he replied with a smile, causing the other boy to blush. "Actually, I came here for your help," he said with a serious tone. The black-haired boy looked up with a start before looking away in shame.

"What possibly do you need my help with? There's nothing that I could possibly do that would help," Shinn said as he sat down across the brown-haired boy.

"That's not true. There is lots that you could help me with," Kira argued. "But there is only one that I would seriously need your help," he said as the other boy looked up. "And it has something to do with my sister," he said, his amethyst eyes watching the black-haired boy's red eyes widened with a start. Unknown to Shinn, his cheeks were stained with pink. Inwardly, Kira smiled upon seeing this. Since the first day he stepped on Orb, he saw that the black-haired boy had his arms around his sister as he pressed his face deep into her golden crown. And he saw his sister wrapped hers around him as well.

And even after that, he had seen the boy looked at Cagalli when the Clyne Faction surrounded the three of them. True that he should vouched for Athrun but ever since he saw Cagalli walked away from them without speaking to him, he had known that the blue-haired boy would not return to Orb. But he was ever faithful to his little sister and so, he still prayed that his best friend would return some day.

"What's wrong with Cagalli!" the black-haired boy asked, his red eyes alert.

"Nothing is wrong with Cagalli? Except-" he started before stopping, frowning slightly.

"What is it? Is she hurt?" Shinn hurriedly asked. Kira smiled and shook his head.

"She's okay," he assured the other boy. "Ever since we returned back here, she had to take care of the military. Seeing as we have no Commander," he informed. "Shinn," he called out, now serious. "How would you like to be of an assistance to Cagalli?"

* * *

"How would you like to be of an assistance to Cagalli?" he heard the brown-haired boy asked.

"Me! How can I be of any help to Cagalli? And what's more, I don't think she would want to see me," he said. "After all, I am the one who hates Orb," he said, looking up once more. He saw Kira shook his head again.

"I know Cagalli. Sure, she can hold a grudge of two but she is not that petty. I once remembered her saying, '_I know it is not your fault. It's no one's fault actually. This is just a consequence of what power and hate could do. You are here now, alive. Make use of what life has to offer for you_'," Kira said with a smile. Shinn blushed upon hearing those words again. Like always, the golden princess was once again in his mind. "Hearing this, I know that she will be grateful for your help," the brown-haired boy finished. "Though it might take a while for her to forgive you," he added with a shrug.

Shinn nodded absent-mindedly. His heart and mind were in a conflict. A part of him would really like to help and see her again while the other preferred to stay in the shadows in fear of his help being rejected. It was a while before he finally made his decision. Looking back at the other boy, his red eyes were full of determination.

"When will I start?"

* * *

**Err...I think I've made Shinn abit too un-Shinn, don't you think? So I may change a bit in this chapter though. **


	3. Reluctant Meeting

**Yay! The third chapter is up! Not much to say but just wondering if you guys will be able to get the hint about Cagalli andRosalynn here..hmm...**

* * *

Her eyes never left the documents that was held in her hand. Another tapped a pen lightly against the wooden surface of the desk when she heard a knock on the door brought her head up. The door opened to reveal her brother peeking in.

She frowned at her brother for intruding but remained silent. Upon seeing her, despite her frowning, a smile appeared on his face as he walked in the room and closed the door behind him. She averted her attention back to the documents that was in her hands, mildly listening to her brother sat down across from her. Both siblings were silent as only the shuffling of the papers was heard in the silent room. She glanced back up at her brother who smiled at her. Quickly, she hid her face behind the documents again.

"What is it!" she nearly screamed out as she lifted her face back up. She glared at her smiling brother who leaned forward slightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his smiling amethyst eyes watched her as her golden amber eyes glared at him. "Can't your dear older brother come and see his little sister?"

"No," she curtly answered. "And I'm not little," she continued, missing out on the 'older brother' bit. "Usually there is something that you want to discuss about. What is it? Is it about the wedding?" she asked, smirking slightly. At the mention of the word 'wedding', Kira froze slightly as his cheeks turned pink.

"N-no," he nearly stammered. "It's not about the wedding," he said after clearing his throat. A golden eyebrow lifted in question. "Well, it's not. Besides everything is already taken care of for the wedding," he firmly said.

"If you say so," she said, immersing herself back into her documents. "How is Lacus anyway?"

"Deliriously happy," came the automatic answer. She lifted her head slightly and smirked openly at her brother.

"Well then. What is it? I'm a very busy woman," she said, her face once again hidden behind the documents.

"It's about the Commander position. I've found someone suitable for it," her brother told her. Absent-mindedly she nodded, though she was not fully listening to him.

"Great," she mumbled. Once again, there was silence in the room.

"Don't you want to know who I found?" Kira asked after a few moments of silence.

"Whoever you choose is good enough for me," she said impatiently.

"You really sure you don't want to know?" her brother persisted again. Making an impatient sound, she glared up at her brother again.

"I've already told you. I don't care who it is. I'm sure he or whoever is really good," she said with an impatient tone. "Now, you would just go and bother someone else. I'm kind of busy here. Go. Go and bother Lacus. I'm sure she has lots of things for the **Head Representative** to do," she shooed him, her hand making the waving motion.

Closing the door behind him, Kira looked away from the door and turned to find himself face-to-face with the black-haired boy. Smiling, he walked towards the boy who stood awkwardly in the office while the staff stared at him curiously. "Seems like you're hired," he said as he walked past the black-haired boy. A few distance away, he stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Be sure to report to her tomorrow," Kira said before turning and left the office, leaving the boy alone in the office.

* * *

Outside, he waited for the elevator to arrive. As he waited, Shinn wondered if he was doing the right thing of accepting the job. As the door opened, he walked in. Frowning slightly, he waited as the elevator went down. He leaned his head back against the elevator. "Am I really doing the right thing?" he wondered. "I'm sure she wouldn't want to see me ever again. But didn't Kira said that she hired me?" he thought. Seeing that he had arrived at his destination level, he straightened himself up and walked out of the elevator. "Well then, I guess I just have to convince her about my fresh start," he said out loud, particularly to no one.

* * *

As usual, she returned home late and by the time that she arrived back, her brother and Lacus was already asleep. So was all the servants. She sighed as she gently closed the front door with a soft click. Her heels tapped the floor softly as she made her way to her bedroom.

Once inside, she took off her coat as she walked towards the tantalizingly soft bed of hers. Tiredly, she flung back onto the soft bed as she let her coat dropped on the floor. Silence was her company as she stared up at the dark ceiling. Then softly, she lifted her right slowly and it made its way towards her slim torso. Resting her hand just underneath her chest, she slowly and almost reluctantly slid it down. Now, it rested fully atop of her womb. Upon touching it, tears slowly filled her eyes and trickled down into her golden hair.

She curved her right hand, as though cupping. She closed her eyes, causing more of her tears to trail into her hair. At that exact moment, an image of a certain blue-haired boy appeared in her head as his deep green eyes stared directly at her with heartfelt emotions. But another image came to her mind. This time, it was him lying down with bandaged injuries. With a sudden, he opened his eyes and shot upright. A name slipped past his lips. A name that was not hers.

* * *

"Cagalli, Cagalli," a soft gentle feminine voice whispered in her ear as she felt someone nudging her. Frowning, she stirred for a moment but went back to sleep. She heard a sigh but chose to ignore it. "You better wake up Cagalli. Or you're going to be late for work. Isn't today the day you have to sign the peace treaty?" a voice said with a question in its tone. This time, it was a little louder.

At the mention of the peace treaty, her eyes shot wide open as she shot upright. She saw Lacus standing beside her bed with her hands on her hips as she looked down at her while shaking her head resignedly. "**SHIT!**" she cried out as she flung aside the sheets.

* * *

She rushed past her staffs as they jumped in an attempt to make way for her. Glancing up, she saw her new secretary coming towards with a few documents in her hands. "Ms Athha, the peace treaty," she said as she tried to walk in step with her employer. "They are not here yet but the Head Representative said to tell you that the new Commander is here in your office," her secretary called out from behind her as Cagalli walked past her.

"Who?" she threw the word over her shoulder as she stopped in front of her office door. "Never mind. I'll just see to him then," she said, waving her secretary off. Turning to face the door, she turned the knob. She walked into the room. "I'm very sorry for being late. I was stuck in traffic," she lied as she turned to close the door. She heard the person stood up behind her. "My brother had told me that he had hired someone for the Commander position but I didn't realize that -" she started as she turned around to face the man that Kira had recommended. Her words were stopped short as she stared at a pair of unforgettable bright red eyes. Numbed with shock, she stared as he walked towards her slowly, almost hesitantly.

"What-what are you doing here?" she finally asked after a few long minutes of silence. She watched as he lowered his eyelids slightly as he stared down at the floor.

"I'm the one whom Kira hired," he finally replied her as he lifted his eyes back up at her. Again, both watched each other in silence. She lowered her head and her golden hair slid forward, shading her eyes and her expression. She walked past him and sat down on her chair.

Nervously, he watched as she moved towards her desk and sat down. Without waiting for her to gesture for him to sit, he walked back to his chair and sat down. He could almost hear the minutes ticked by as he watched her, her expression unreadable. "Maybe I should go. You wouldn't someone like me as a Commander right?" he finally said, disappointment in his tone. He stood up and walked towards the door in dejected manner. He should have known that his help would be rejected. Just as he was about to touch the doorknob, a sound from her made him stopped.

"Are you sure you'll be able to handle the job and the responsibilities that come with it?"

* * *

**I wonder if Cagalli is a little to forgiving..hmmm...**


	4. Secret Revealed

**Sorry for the late update..but here's a new chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

She heard him said those words as he turned to leave. Inside her, two very different emotions battled with one another. But when she heard him walked towards the door, she lifted her head back up quickly. She frowned. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle the job and the responsibilities that come with it?" she called out, still frowning. She watched him stopped with a startle and turned to face her. His eyes were full of surprise and he just stood there. 

"Are you going to stand there all day? Where are you going?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair. She gestured for him to sit again. He moved and did as she gestured.

"I thought you wouldn't want me here?" he asked, his voice full of puzzlement. She frowned more intensely at his words.

"When did I said that? Did I say it out loud?" she asked. "Anyway, the job's going to be difficult. Now with the new development in the peace ties," she continued on. "You sure you can handle it?" she asked, fully staring at him with those golden amber eyes of hers. Numbly he nodded. Then, she smiled and nodded back. "Well then, the first thing on the list is to get you the Commander uniform. Now where did I put it?" she wondered out loud.

"Princess," she heard him called her. Hearing her title, she looked at him with a frown.

"Cagalli," she said. She watched those red eyes of his blinked once and then twice. "Cagalli," she repeated her name once more.

"Cagalli?" he tentatively called out. She nodded.

"No one calls me Princess. No one I know that is," she said, waving her hand about. "Well, except for my insufferable ministers," she huffed, frowning at the thought of Orb's ministers.

"Cagalli," he called out once more, liking how the name rolled off his tongue. She smiled and nodded in approval. "You're not angry?"

"Angry? Angry at what?" she asked.

"Angry at me," he blurted out. Cagalli blinked at that.

* * *

He saw her blinked at his outburst but she remained quiet after that. Silence ticked away again in the room while both stared at one another. Suddenly, she gave a smile that seemed to dazzle him to silence.

"I never was angry with you in the beginning," she said, still smiling. "I admit that I was frustrated but it was never directed to you. I was frustrated at myself. I'm weak and that's why I was frustrated," she explained, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"You were never weak," he whispered. She stopped in mid-sentence and stared at him. "You're not weak," he said, his eyes and voice were serious. "All that time that I've ever glared and shoved you aside, you have never once shown a sign of weakness. Maybe that's what cause me to really hate you then. You could stand so strong despite everything that has been going on around you," he said, his eyes holding hers without blinking. He could feel a blush coming on but he did not care. "But now everything is in the past. Like you said before, I'm going to make full use of what life has to offer me. And I'm going to use this second chance helping you."

* * *

He glanced at himself in the mirror before looking down to look at himself. He looked in the mirror again. The formal Commander uniform that he was holding up against himself seemed out of place. He sighed and glanced at the clock. It was nearly time for him to start his first day as a Commander and yet, he had not even worn the uniform.

Somehow everytime he touched the uniform, his heart would start beating faster and he could feel his cheeks burning up. "What's wrong with me?" he wondered as he carelessly sat down. He brought a hand up to his cheeks and could feel the hotness of it. "Why am I feeling this way? I've not felt this way since Stellar died,"he whispered. At that exact moment, an image of a cheerful golden-haired girl dressed in a pink uniform came to mind. He smiled at the fond image of Stellar. After a few long minutes, he finally stood up and went into his room.

He watched from behind as she made her way towards the group of people who stood in the middle of the room. He shifted uncomfortably at first before spying her looking back at him. Seeing that she was gesturing for him to come over, he made his way towards her. "Thank you gentlemen for coming here. Recently, we've had a new Commander here. This is Commander Asuka," she introduced him to the group of men who stared at him.

Several of them looked at him with mixed feelings, this he assumed that they knew who he was. Only the Representative of the Earth Alliance looked at him and nodded. He nodded back while Cagalli watched. "Ms Athha, shall we now begin the signing of the treaty?" the representative asked looking back at her. She nodded and sat down while the other man followed suit. Her secretary, who had been there the whole time, finally walked forward and placed the treaty papers in front of both the man and the princess. He walked and stood behind her chair. Suddenly, she turned behind and gestured for him to sit beside her.

Surprised, he did as he was told. He watched as she turned to face the Earth Alliance representative again. Several of the Earth Alliance officers who were there bent and whispered to the representative while shooting glances at him. He stiffened and wondered if his being here would jeopardize the whole peace treaty. "I'm sorry Ms Athha. But some of my colleagues here think that we will not sign the treaty since you have taken an enemy in your office," he said as he turned back to Cagalli. Silence filled the air as everyone watched Cagalli whose expression was unreadable.

"Orb has been looking forward to this treaty between Orb, the Earth Alliance and Zaft. With this treaty, there will finally be peace between our three nations. But if your colleagues feel that I have taken an enemy here, then I'm very sorry to hear that," she said as she lifted her head to stare up at the others who stood behind the Earth Alliance representative. "But hear me out. I have never taken an enemy in my office. Everyone is an equal and has their own personal reasons for what they have done. Commander Asuka might have his own personal reasons for what he has done to both our nations. But I will not turn down a help that might be useful to this nation. I, for one, believe in him and his skills," she said firmly. He was a little surprised at her fierce defence for him and was grateful to him. This even made him more determined to support her. The officers, too, were startled by this fierce statement and some even looked guilty. Only the representative nodded in approval.

"It seems that we share the same goal, Ms Athha. Now, I am even more determined to have this peace between our two nations," he said, smiling. With that, he took out a pen and signed the treaty with a flourish motion. Once everything was done, he looked back up at her and smiled. Both parties stood up as she shook his hand. "We hope this peace will really last a lifetime," he said. She smiled and nodded.

"Allow my secretary to escort you out," she offered and nodded at the woman beside her. Her secretary smiled and gestured for the representative and the others out of the room. Once they were out of the room, did she sighed.

"You did not have to defend me back then," he said as she sat back down. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes while rearranging the documents.

"I know," she simply said, turning her attention back on the documents.

"I could have said something in defense myself," he said after a few minutes of silence.

"I know," she said again as she placed the documents back on the table. "But I wanted to," she finished as she turned to face him. She smiled and placed a hand on his uniformed shoulder. Her smile widened as she tilted her head slightly to the side. "You look really good in that uniform," she complimented. Her compliment brought a blush to his cheeks and words escaped him. Suddenly, he saw her leaning forward towards him and, before he could do anything or wondered what she was trying to do, she placed a kiss on his reddened cheek. It happened in a flash and, the next thing he remembered was she walking towards the door.

He watched as she lifted a hand up to turn the knob when she started to sway and collapsed to the ground. Alarmed, he shot out of his chair and cradled her in his arms. He looked down and saw her eyes were closed. "Princess? Princess! Wake up! Cagalli!"

* * *

He looked around the white hallway as doctors and nurses walked past him. Anxious, he stood up and began to pace outside the room where Cagalli was being examined. "Shinn!" he heard his name being called out from a far. He turned and saw both Kira and Lacus running towards him at the end of the corridor. "What happened?" the brown-haired boy asked once they were within a few steps of each other. "I don't know. One minute she was fine and the next, I saw her on the floor," he replied combing his hand through his dark hair almost haphazardly.

"Do you think -?" the pink-haired girl started to ask when the brown-haired boy shook his head.

"We don't know for sure. It might be that she has just tired herself out with the rebuilding of Orb," Kira interrupted, his amethyst eyes sneaking a glance at the black-haired boy. Somehow, the boy had not heard them talked as he looked back at the door, his eyes frowning. Suddenly, the door opened and a lady in a white coat came out of the room. A nurse walked out after that and she listened to the doctor's instructions. Once the nurse was gone, the three of them crowded the doctor.

"How is she? Is she all right?" Lacus asked, her bright blue eyes full of anxiety and concern. Kira nodded as his own eyes reflected the same emotions.

"The princess is all right. She's just tired from all the work she's been doing," the doctor assured them. Lacus let out a breath of relief while Kira closed his eyes in relief. His own heart, that had been beating fast, slowed down as he let out a relieved breath as well. "But there is something that I need to confirm with you. It's about -" she started when Kira quickly steered her away from the black-haired boy. Lacus stayed behind with Shinn until the brown-haired boy and the doctor were out of earshot.

"Shinn, why don't you go and see her first? We'll be there soon," she said to the black-haired boy, closing her eyes as she smiled. He looked down at the pink-haired songstress and nodded before entering the room. Silence greeted him as he made his way towards the golden-haired princess laying down on the hospital bed. Slowly and softly, he sat down on one of the chairs available near the bed and stared at her sleeping face. Long minutes ticked by as he sat there, staring at her. Finally, he lifted a hand and brushed aside a stray lock of her hair from her face.

* * *

In her hazy daze, she felt a hand lingered on her cheek. The touch was so soft and gentle that she nearly sighed out loud. But she did not moved in fear of having the hand moved away. No one moved in that moment, only the muffled sound of the noises outside surrounded them. Her heart, then, started beating fast and a thought kept repeating itself in her mind. "It's him. He's back. Athrun's back," the thought kept repeating itself as her heart beat even faster. Then, the hand moved away and she finally stirred.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred at first and remained hazy. Unknown to her, she was still under the effects of the anesthetic. She turned to her side and saw a figure sitting down. She blinked her eyes once and twice. Finally, her vision cleared a little and she smiled at the familiar blue hair and deep green eyes that gazed at her with concern.

"Cagalli, are you all right?" he asked. She smiled sleepily again and nodded. She did not answer him. Instead, she raised a hand towards him and placed it on his cheek. She felt him stiffened a little at first before he relaxed.

"You're here," she breathed. "You're finally here. I've been waiting for you to return," she said, tears spilled from the sides of her eyes. "There's something I have to tell you, Athrun."

* * *

He was startled when she opened her eyes and looked at him. Her eyes still had a sleepy look in them but he did not care when he saw her smile. He was even more startled when she started to raise her hand and placed it on his cheek. His whole body stiffened slightly before it got used to her touch. "You're here," he heard her said in a dreamy voice. Upon hearing those words, his whole being felt light and he felt that he could hardly breathe. His heart felt like it was dying to break free from it's cage.

"You're finally here. I've been waiting for you to return," he heard her said. But the next words that came from her nearly stopped him from totally breathing. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes, making those golden amber eyes of hers gleamed before they spilled. "There's something I have to tell you, Athrun."

* * *

"Thank goodness it was just fatigue," the pink-haired princess sighed in relief as Kira nodded in agreement. Both walked away from the doctor and made their way towards the room where Cagalli was in. Just as Kira was about to turn the doorknob, the door opened with a sudden to reveal the black-haired boy in the doorway. Both the brown-haired boy and Lacus looked up with a startle and found an unreadable expression on the boy's face.

"Shinn? What is it? Is Cagalli all right?" Kira asked, his voice started to fill with panic. The black-haired boy shook his head but his frowning face did not relax. Lacus observed his face and knew that Shinn had somehow know about Cagalli's condition. With that, she turned towards her fiancé and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Kira, why don't you go and check on your sister? I will be shortly,"she said, gesturing her head towards the room. Kira looked down at her and nodded, though almost reluctantly. Everyone was silence as he walked into the room and closed the door with a firm click. "You know about it, don't you?" she asked, looking back at the black-haired boy's face. His face tensed even more as he gave a sharp nod. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"What else is there to think about? There is only thing to do," he said curtly as he whipped his head up to stare at the pink-haired songstress. She did not flinch at the steely gaze that he gave out.

"And what about you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"Would you be able to take it if she were to return back to him?" she asked, her gaze serious and calm. At that question, the black-haired boy faltered.

"I-" he started before he stopped in mid-sentence. "This isn't about me! He has to do the right thing!"

She shook her head at his sudden outburst. "Even if he did the right thing, she would not accept it. She believes that he has forgotten about her. There is only one thing that all of us can do though," she said as she walked past him.

"What can I do?"

At his question, her hand stopped in mid-air as she was about to hold onto the doorknob.

"Support her in her time of need," she threw the words over her shoulder. And with that, she walked into the room and the black-haired boy was once again left alone.

* * *


End file.
